The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-09-28
coRNERED BY BEARS.
A Colorado Miners Discouraging Expert
enCe with Bruin.

A Colorado Minors Discouraging Expert.
ence with Bruin.
Eyes, sir, that was about the closest
call I ever had"
This remark. coming from we'll
built, good.looklng young miner, and
made with serious infection that left
no doubt of its sincerity, attracted the
attention of o reporter who happened
to be standing close to group of min
ing men a few days ago.
1T was last winter" continued the
miner, 'when me and my partner,
Jim Rogers, was working an assess
ment on couple of old prospects of
ours up in Geneva Park, about half
way between Grant and Montezuma.
Grub had given out q few days before,
and while Jim was driving the work
on one-hundred-foot level through
solid rock, / started over to Montezu-
ma for a supply of grub. Snow!
Well, l should remark. And cold.
Well, if we hadn't had to have grub.
nothing else would have got me over
that seven miles and back, but it had
to come over, and brought it. had
just got to the cabin and fixed up sup
perfo Jim and me, and got the dishes
on the table. Istepped to the door to
throw out some potato-parings, talk
ing to Jim. When, as turned around
at the door, saw, looking through the
little window at the side of the cabin,
one of the ugliest and biggest bears
that ever want to see. She was sit
ting up on her launches and looking
right at me, and as I turned little
more I saw through the partly open
door two more big bears In front Of
the cabin. We didn't have even a
dirk-knife in the cabin, nor gun or re-
volver, and the AK was at the wood
pile forty feet from the door. and the
two bears between me and it. I tell
you l thought it was rainin bears for
q minute. A good deal quicker than
I'm telling this I jumped for the poker
that we used to fasten the cabin door
with, and slipped it into place. Just
then the old she-bear at the window
gave growl and made pass at the
window with her paw. Bif, it came,
sash, glass, and all on the
floor. Before the noise had
stopped smash came the other
bears against the door, and it's only
a miracle that it didn't come in. The
poker was bent all out of shape. Well.
Jim and me did lots of thinking about
that time, and if ever / wanted As
repeater I wanted it right then. You
see. the snow had been lying awful
deep there. and the bears were raven
GUS and most likely hadn't had any
thing to eat for long time. They
have to get terribly hungry before
they will attack cabin like that.
1--WE threw burning paper and fire.
brands. dishes and every thing We
could get hands on at the old bear in
the window, bat she just stood there
and glared at us. ! never thought
there could be SO much fire in an eye
as there was in hers. She stood there
looking ut us and we at her, when al
at once we heard noise on the roof
You bet we knew what it was, too
and were about ready to give up then
The two-year Odds, the old bears cubs
had got up on the dirt roof of the cab
in. Pretty soon they, commenced
throwin' dirt, and in about two min
utes had got down to the poles tina
held the dirt. We could look RICH
up through the poles where the dir
was clawed off and see them. An,
wasn't they made They would CLAW
along lengthwise Of the pole and rak
the bark off every clip, and every minute
we were expecting them to get thei
claws in between the poles and thel
we would be gone. If they had know
enough to give one or two scrape
sideways they could easily hav
scooped off enough poles to let then
down in. What thenP Well, tn
bears would have had a square meal
and l wouldn't be here telling yo
about it. All the time they wer
scraping away up there / stood wit
the straw bedtick on the floor ope
and lighted candle in my hand. A
l told Jim, it was poor chance, bu
I'd rather be burned up than cate
up. The old bear stayed right Their
at the window all the time watchin!
us. 1t was too small for her, or She,
have been in herself After Will
they seemed to get tired, and, afte
prowling around the cabin until W
were near frightened to death, the
went off. I measured the bigges
ones tracks in the snow next morn
ing, and it was fourteen inches long
1t wasn't long before that cabin had
rifle in it, and you don't catch me in
bear county again with no protectio
but straw bed and candle. -
Denver NetUs.
An important Position.